


Lunch Date

by jackabelle73



Series: Captured Moments [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Ficlet Collection, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 05:58:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12358965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackabelle73/pseuds/jackabelle73
Summary: There's an awkward moment the first time Rumbelle eat lunch at Granny's.





	Lunch Date

The first time she entered Granny’s Diner with her arm through Rumplestiltskin’s, smiling a thank-you as he held the door open for her, Belle’s good mood dissipated when she realized everyone was staring at them.

She’d known that he wasn’t popular in Storybrooke, but was unprepared for the suspicion and shock she saw directed at them.

Forks were suspended mid-air, paused en route to diners’ mouths. The wait staff was frozen in the act of taking plates from the service window.

The eerie stillness was broken by Ruby, who came forward to greet them.

“Belle, hi!” She gave her a warm hug, which Belle returned with one arm, reluctant to release her grip on Rumple. “So nice to see you again.” She nodded to Rumple, her tone more neutral. “Mr. Gold.”

“Miss Lucas,” he said with a nod. “If we could get a booth, please.”

“Sure thing. Let me just clean one off real quick.” She hurried away.

The kitchen door swung open to admit Granny, who took in the situation with a glance.

“Don’t you all have meals to be eating?” she snapped, and went over to Belle and Rumple as the murmur of conversations resumed. “You’d think they’d never seen two people enter the diner together before. Don’t mind them, they’ll find something else to gossip about before the day is out.” She fixed her gaze on Belle. “Honey, I’m only going to ask this once, then I’ll stay out of your business. Are you with him because you want to be? He didn’t trick you or coerce you? You’re not paying off a debt?”

“No, of course not!” Belle exclaimed, feeling Rumple’s arm tense against her at Granny’s question, then relax again at hearing her answer. “Granny, I appreciate the concern, but I’m with Rumple because I want to be.”

“Hmm. Well, you ever change your mind, I got a crossbow in back and an arrow with his name on it.” She jerked her head, indicating they should follow her to the booth Ruby had just cleared.

“That won’t be necessary, Granny. Thank you,” Belle said politely, as Granny gave them menus and left. She took a deep breath and stole a glance at Rumple. “I wasn’t expecting that reaction.”

“I should have,” he said grimly. “I’m sorry, Belle. I should have warned you. Everyone wants to protect you from the fearsome Mr. Gold, the loathsome Dark One. After all, I was making deals at least two centuries before you were born.”

He lifted his menu, as if he wanted to hide behind it.

“Two centuries, hmm? Well, I think you look good for your age.” She couldn’t see the lower half of his face, but could have sworn he was blushing. She reached out to lower his menu, taking his hand in hers. “Want to know what I see, when I look at you?”

“Hmm?” He squeezed her hand.

“Rumplestiltskin. Just my Rumple.”

He raised their joined hands to kiss the back of her fingers, closing his eyes for a moment.

A loudly cleared throat made them look up. Granny stood there, regarding them over her glasses. “Never thought I’d see the day,” she directed at Rumplestiltskin, before raising her notepad. “You two lovebirds ready to order?”

**Author's Note:**

> I used prompt #109 from this list: http://jackabelle73.tumblr.com/post/165032772957/drabble-challenge-1-150
> 
> This ficlet was written on my phone b/c I was bored out of my mind at an all-day training. This one (and the second one that I wrote on a different training day) are tagged on my Tumblr as #phone ficlet. They'll be collected here on AO3 under Captured Moments.


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